community-led planning, regeneration and economic
development with a
creative and cultural twist
Seeds of Joy 21
Seeds of Joy began in 2021, and built on the working relationship director Sarah Spanton had built with some community members during her previous work in Miles Platting. This first year was an investigative phase, a small co-design group of three local residents who are involved in two of Miles Platting’s community gardens, came together to work with Waymarking C.I.C. and MCRactive.
As part of this investigative phase, three outdoor gardening events were planned and co-delivered by the co-design group, held in June and September, taking place at Ridgway Street and Holland Street Community Gardens. These events explored how many local people were already interested in gardening and found out what sort of gardening-based activities residents might engage with. Additionally, we trialled eight gardening workshops through the summer, which also took place at Ridgway Street Community Gardens.
The programme’s goals included supporting community members through co-design and co-production to develop greater community agency and influence in Miles Platting, to foster pride in the area, build on existing local assets (people and green spaces), develop community leaders and to innovate around ways to support health and wellbeing through gardening.
‘Watching people re-connect - it was life affirming’
Co-Design Group community member
‘We worked together very well as a team’
Co-Design Group community member
‘Waymarking’s approach to working with community participants has been putting them at the heart of the design and delivery’.
MCRactive partner
Image credits: Olivia Glasser (1), Tori Burgess (2) & Martina Magill (3-5), for Waymarking C.I.C.